5 Interesting Facts About Mister Rogers

Fred Rogers has made a positive impact to millions of people worldwide. His show, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (1968-2001), talked about a wide range of issues, interacting with friends, songs, and taking viewers on tours of factories. Growing up, I would watch him on TV whenever I had a day off from school. After his death from stomach cancer in February 2003, Rogers has influenced many people like myself and a decisive role model. During his lifetime, he has received over 40 honorary degrees and several awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002, and a Lifetime Achievement Emmy in 1997. On top of that, he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1999.

A documentary film, Won't You Be My Neighbor, was released in mid-2018. It chronicled the life and legacy of Fred Rogers. Actor Tom Hanks will be portraying the television personality in the film, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, which is set to be released in November. In this article, I'll be sharing some great facts about Fred Rogers you might not have known before.

5. His mother knitted all of his sweaters.

If you're watching an episode of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and wondered what's with all those colorful sweaters and also might have been curious of whether he bought or made them. All of those sweaters were knitted by none other than his own mother. In an interview with the Archive of American Television, Rogers explained that his mother, Nancy, would knit sweaters for all her loved ones every Christmas.

4. He responded to all his fan mail.

We all know that being a positive, public figure is a blessing and rewarding. Not many celebrities would have time to reply to the fan mail that they receive from their fans, but Fred Rogers had plenty of time to respond to all of them. According to Heather Arnet, an assistant on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2005 that he would receive between 50 and 100 letters a day.

3. He was bullied as a child.

As a child, Rogers was bullied for being overweight and timid. His fellow classmates taunted him when he walked home from school. He would cry through his fingers and make up songs on the piano. That experience led him to see the surface of everyone he ran into.

2. He was an accomplished musician.

You might not have known this, but all the songs sung from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood were actually written by Fred Rogers himself and many more. He graduated Magna cum laude from Rollins College with a degree in music. Even though he's no longer with us, we still can all admire his excellent piano and musical abilities.

1. He fought and saved public television.

In 1969, Rogers went before Congress, making a compassionate plea to them to save public television. At the time, it was on the verge of having funding for it being slashed in half by then president Richard Nixon. Rogers mentioned during that hearing that public television would have a potential in the lives on not only children, but turning them into beneficial citizens. Thanks to Rogers' moving words, funding for public television was raised from $9 million to $22 million.

I'll be making another list of fascinating Fred Rogers facts on Vocal soon. Now that you have seen the first half of this list, let me know what you loved the most about the television personality and what was your favorite Mister Rogers' Neighborhood episode? Be sure to check out A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, starring Tom Hanks, in theaters November 22.

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